"....it's just the nearness of youuuuu."

one of many goddesses, The Getty Villa, Malibu, Ca. 

One of the most important things I've learned from the Diva is the art of proximity. I can recall little details about the space around her : a small red Buddha tucked gently into a soap dish in her shower, a statue of St. Francis---guardian saint of animals---nestled in her garden, Tibetan prayer flags and framed artwork drawn by her daughter. "No wonder she feels good and vibe-y all the time," I thought. She keeps the love around her everywhere : at work, in her home, traveling along in her car...even in the shower! Kinda makes me wonder, what do my surroundings say about me? What kind of daily peace

 am I cultivating? 

It's important to have beauty, what it is for you, around you always. Closeness, nearness to what you love and hold dear, can resurge your faith and strengthen moral. Visual cues and sign posts live amongst our beloved objects : framed photos of loved ones, a post card from a favorite show or exhibit, prayer beads and a stack of books. All packed with the power to enliven and remind us of what our purpose is, what means most to our soul. 

water lilies from The Getty Villa

This morning I caught a glimpse of one of my favorite magnets as I shut the freezer door. A small square replica of a fresco that hangs in The Getty Villa, Malibu. I clenched the cold rock material in my hand and thought about that trip. Kevin took my mom and I to the villa on my 30th birthday. It was a beautiful day, one I'll always cherish. And with that I began to mull about how important art is to my life.  And how silly it is that I have all this time and we live so close to the other Getty Museum! And why have I not gone and spent the day? ...so that is my new plan for next week. To go in search of beauty and bathe in it for a time. 

I implore you to do the same. Even if you're beat and don't feel like leaving the house or it wasn't planned----who cares. Go anyway : to a museum, a park, a play, a cafe, to a friends house...anywhere that fills you up. 

H2O Go!

Beauty tip for this week : Drink more water. Water makes up about 60% of your body weight and every system in your body depends on it. It is your bodies principal chemical component because it :  flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides moisture to your ear-nose&throat tissues. Everyday we loose water through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. You need to replenish these losses to maintain proper body function and blood volume. 

And if that's not enough, getting your daily recommended allowance can make your hair and nails grow fast AND strong! Also, substituting water for beverages high in calories can help control your weight. 

You can either go by the standard 8x8 rule = 8 full 8 oz. glasses of water a day. Or locate your recommended daily allowance by dividing your weight in lbs. by two. So for example, if you weigh 150 lbs. than you should be consuming 75 oz. of water  A DAY. 

Another good little test : If your urine is dark in color and has a very strong odor ---- time to pour a few glasses my friend. Your urine should be clear to slightly yellow in color and not have a strong odor. 

GO FORTH AND DRINK!!.....WATER!!!


ps I love how obnoxious this photo is!

You gotta know when to hold'm, know when to fold'm....

Recently I came across this photo of a fifteen year old's makeup collection. It made me shutter. Not at the sheer volume of products, because let's face it, this is no where near enough. But at the possibility that a lot of this makeup could be old. If this young lady is as busy and distracted as I remember being at that age, expired products could be lurking in her makeup bag. And one thing is for certain, makeup does not get better with age.  

I know, I know, we hate to throw our beloved products away. But cosmetics do reach a certain point where not only do they stop working properly, they could be dangerous. And you can't always consult a label to determine if your makeup is still good. Cosmetics are not required by law to have expiration dates. Even dated items can be misleading as some may expire long before the printed date or batch code. Your best defense? Stay up to date on your purchase dates and clean out your makeup bag, drawer or arsenal. One helpful hint : Use a wax pencil, sharpie or silver sharpie to write the date of purchase or open onto your products. This will make cleaning house a much easier feat. 

And to add that extra measure of aid, because I'm fabulously devoted to you, I've written up a list of general guidelines for tossing and trashing. Enjoy!

When to toss

Mascara - 3 months TOPS. Probably the number one major offender, a mascara tube can be a breading ground for germs and bacteria. Think about it---its dark, moist and a small space. Using old or contaminated mascara can cause conjunctivitis (Pinkeye), a stye or various allergic reactions. NEVER share mascara and if a makeup artist is applying mascara to your lashes, they should be using disposable applicators ---a new applicator--- EVERY time they dip into the tube.  tip* Don't pump your mascara wand before application. All that does is expose the tube to a lot of germs, air and helps it to dry out quickly.  

Powders - 2 - 3 years. This includes face powder, eyeshadows, blush, etc. The length of these products depends mostly on how they're used and kept clean. Note that adding water to any product, introduces bacteria and shortens the life span. Touching products with your fingers also adds existing oils and bacteria to the plate. If you can't avoid applying with your fingers, be sure never to share your makeup and that your hands are very clean before making contact. tip* if you enjoy using powder shadow as a liner and usually wet your brush or shadow to accomplish this look---try using a cosmetic palette knife to scrape a small amount of powder from your shadow onto a separate surface. Wet your brush and dip into powder to line. Try to keep from wetting your shadow over and over which can infest your product with germs. 

Pencils - 2  years. (lip liners, eye liners) As long as you sharpen your pencils regularly, you should be fine. If they start to crumble or become hard to move across the skin, its time to discard. tip* keep your sharpener sanitized by regularly swabbing with alcohol. 

Lipstick - 1-2 years Usually the wear of a lipstick will communicate its longevity. If your product starts to smell or has a particular odor, its time to trash it. Also if you notice it doesn't wear the way it used to : crumbles at the sides, beads up easily or quickly and feels gross---its time to say goodbye. 

Lipgloss - 6-8 months. This is another product like mascara that can be dark, moist and confined to a very small space. Easily a potential germy mess. Keep track of its scent, consistency and wearability. Another product not to share with fellow peeps. 

Concealer - Wand applicator - 6 months, stick/twist up tubes - 12 months

Foundation- waterbased - 12 months

                      oil based - 18 months

Nail Polish - Up to 12 months. A good rule of thumb is that if the product is difficult to apply--stringy or clumpy -- its time to go. Also, if you notice that while holding the bottle, the product has separated and a layer of oil is floating along the top----its dead and gone. 

Dope Nails

I'm still having A LOT of fun with the Sally Hansen's Nail Strips. They really do make doing my nails fun <3  They come out perfect every time and aside from the top coat, theres no drying time. Plus I have no inclination to bite my nails while I'm wearing them---and I love my new length. Can we say AbFab! This graphic is called, Laced Up. 

To see original post : click here

Take Time Out

I spent quite a beautiful day with a beautiful friend doing ordinary things. We even had time to steal away and try some fun blue eye shadow. These days are the best, these moments are what I live for...

This is dedicated to the Diva I looooove....

Have you ever loved a Diva? Wait. Let me rephrase that : Have you ever been a Diva's slave? Sometimes they're one in the same. Oooooooh how they love to torture their minions. "French Press my coffee! I want Peanut Butter with PALM OIL DAMN IT!!!!! Is this water Evian? IT BETTER BE EVIAN IF YOU WANT TO LIVE THROUGH THE DAY!!!!!" Ahhh yes. Those were the days. And I'll tell you one thing : there ain't no way in hell I'm ever gonna let anyone tell me that I haven't paid my dues! Oh I've paid! Many, many, many times! But the trauma is another story. 

Diva's can be very useful, even beneficial creatures to have around. Scourge at the hand of the beast can make you strong, thick skinned and agile for any task or inanimate object that might come hurling towards your head. And they usually have exquisite taste in all arenas : clothes, shoes, beauty, food, wine, etc.. Which means that one of their greatest gifts to you will be exposure. I'll tell you, I never cared about Truffle Oil or Pink Himalayan Salt until I worked for a Diva. But while I did, I ate at the best restaurants, drank superb red wine and sampled some of the best beauty products I've ever used. Which makes me very proud to induct our first Diva Select product! Diva Select will be a new section of Beautility! Focusing on products, life beauty and the general fabulousness that I've garnered from my own relationship with a very classy lady. Enjoy and remember : whats good enough for a Diva is even better for us!

Product

If you work hard enough, a Diva may learn to trust you. And if she trusts you, she just might hand over the keyes to her palace....for you to house sit of course. It was while my Diva was away that I lived in the lap of her luxurious and sometimes scary-at-night mansion in Topanga Canyon. Equally stunning to the views of lush green hills, mountains, and morning deer....was her bathroom! Two Sinks, a jacuzzi tub and closet to die in! And the perfect shower : a glass box, large shower head, vintage fixtures, and a shower seat to boot. "I could live in here!" I squealed out loud to myself. And of course the piece de resistance! A BEVY of products! Shampoos, oils, candles, scrubs, cleansers and more! There was only one thing to think, "JACKPOT!!" 

 So the product that impressed me the most, on this trip, was Jason Naturals Satin Body Wash in Chamomile and Rose. That's right. Diva's have not one but several choices when it comes to body wash. And these are delectable, down to the last drop. They smell absolutely wonderful and contain natural Rosewater and Calendula extract. Vitamins B5 and E nourish and revitalize your skin while gentle botanical surfactants clean the skin without over drying. They are mineral oil, petrolatum and Lanolin free. They also DO NOT contain animal products or participate in using animals for testing. Each wash comes in large, recyclable 30 oz. bottles with a pump and in a variety of scents. Herbal, apricot, lavendar, tea tree, mango and cranberry!

Even better, they are free of Parabens, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates or Phthalates. Why should you care about this? Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates or SLS, is a cheap chemical surfactant. You will find it in shampoos, bubble bath and other soaps or products that are supposed to "lather up." It is used in lower concentrations in many cleansing products to strip oils of the skin and leave you feeling clean. Its also used (in high concentrations) in car garages, car wash systems and other industrial agents to dissolve grease on car engines and as a powerful wetting/foaming agent. And of course there is major controversy as to whether or not its hurting you.

Well studies have shown the following : 

Studies on SLS have shown that:" (Judi Vance, Beauty To Die For, Promotion Publishing, 1998)

1. "Shampoos with SLS could retard healing and keep children's eyes from developing properly. Children under six years old are especially vulnerable to improper eye development. (Summary of Report of Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. conference."
2. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate can cause cataracts in adults and delays the healing of wounds in the surface of the cornea."
3. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate has a low molecular weight and so is easily absorbed by the body. It builds up in the heart, liver and brain and can cause major problems in these areas."
4. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes skin to flake and to separate and causes roughness on the skin."
5. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes dysfunction of the biological systems of the skin."
6. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is such a caustic cleanser that it actually corrodes the hair follicle and impairs the ability to grow hair."
7. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is routinely used in clinical studies deliberately to irritate the skin so that the effects of other substances can be tested." (Study cited by the Wall St Journal, 1st November 1998)
   
   
   
   

And you know my philosophy on these types of queries : I'm not going to wait another five, ten or twenty years to find out that what I've been using really is causing cancer, or drying out my skin and hair follicles. If you can find a more natural solution to getting clean and pretty, go for it. 

As far as Phthalates are concerned: 

taken from : http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/newscience/oncompounds/phthalates/phthalates.htm

"Intentional uses of phthalates include softeners of plastics, oily substances in perfumes, additives to hairsprays, lubricants and wood finishers. That new car smell, which becomes especially pungent after the car has been sitting in the sun for a few hours, is partly the pungent odor of phthalates volatilizing from a hot plastic dashboard. In the evening's cool they then condense out of the inside air of the car to form an oily coating on the inside of the windshield...."   

yeeeeah think about pouring THAT all over your body and you do the math. For me--not happening. 

One last note : if you scan the ingredients, do not be alarmed when you see Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate. It is a natural organic salt that increases foaming capacity and helps to form emulsions by reducing surface tension of the substances absorbed by or used on skin. In 2004 it was assessed for a second time by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) and found to be a safe cosmetic ingredient.  

I purchase my Jason products from Whole Foods Market. I believe you can also find it at Gelson's. Usual retail price is $13.99

why you so obsessed wit me? boy I wanna know!

ok. still pretty obsessed with the Sally Hansen Nail Strips. Run--no wait!! DON'T buy them if you live in Los Angeles....at least not until I find the ones I want. I've been to 3 CVS's this week and they're all sold out!!